CMM 2019-02-10 Possible Items for Agenda

Here are some possible agenda items for Second Month’s Meeting for Worship with attention to Business, which will be on the 10^th (the second First Day) of Second Month.  Some of the items from First Month may have been carried forward.  Some of the proposed items may need further seasoning.  They are in no particular order at the moment.  [See also http://quakerspeak.com/quaker-decision-making-consensus/ [1]]

During worship, please hold in your heart the following from the “Advices on Corporate Discernment” in the 2014 Interim Faith & Practice of NEYM [2].  Friends are also asked to consider the “Queries on Corporate Discernment [3]”.

3.  Think it possible that you may be mistaken.

4.  In searching together for the will of God in matters before the meeting, Friends are seeking the truth, so that all may join in its affirmation.  We are not engaging in debate, or trying to win an argument.  Know that working together as a community of spiritual seeking is often more important than simply getting things done.

 

• Minutes of First Month’s Meeting for Worship with attention to Business [4].
• Budget Committee report
  • “How does our Meeting engage its members in the support of the Meeting’s work, its ministry, and the upkeep of its property?” ¹
• Property Committee report
  • “Does our Meeting serve social and economic justice in its uses of property and money?” ¹
• Peace, Social, and Earthcare Concerns Committee (PSECC) report
  • “We do not own the world, and its riches are not ours to dispose of at will.  Show a loving consideration for all creatures, and seek to maintain the beauty and variety of the world.  Work to ensure that our increasing power over nature is used responsibly, with reverence for life.  Rejoice in the splendour of God’s continuing creation.” ²
  • AFSC’s Sanctuary Everywhere [5]
  • FCNL’s #LoveThyNeighbor (No Exceptions) [6]
  • AFSC-NH’s, GSOP’s, and NH Council of Churches’ Immigrant Solidarity Network [7]
• Youth Religious Education Committee report
  • Children and young people need love and stability.  Are we doing all we can to uphold and sustain parents and others who carry the responsibility for providing this care? ³
• Outreach Committee report
  • “Are you patterns, examples; do your lives preach among all sorts of people, and to them?  Do you walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in every one?” - NEYM 1985 Faith and Practice, Queries 5.4 and 5.5 [8].
• Ministry & Counsel Committee report
  • Query 2. “b) Are we aware of the roles we fill as heirs of the meetings of ministers and elders?  What do we do to support each other in the use of our gifts for God’s work?  Do we actively seek to identify and nurture these gifts in each other?”  NEYM Minute of Exercise, 2015-09-15 [9]
  • NEYM is developing a data protection and information security policy.  Concord Monthly Meeting may wish to revisit its policy as stated at https://www.concordfriendsmeeting.org/ContactInformationForm [10], which is based on CMM Minute 2009-05-10#5.4 [11] and CMM Minute 2009-06-14#06.8 [12].  Draft versions of a possible data privacy policy [13] and data consent form [14] are available for perusal and consideration.

Announcements & Events:

Jan 15 (Tue)    9:00 – 10:00 a.m.  Interfaith Prayer Vigil for Immigrant Justice [15] [Joshua 6:1-27 [16]] for those reporting to ICE [17] for deportation that day at the Norris Cotton Federal Building, 275 Chestnut Street in Manchester.  We have signed the pledge to stand with our immigrant neighbors.  If you have not seen a copy of the revised solidarity statement, it can be found here [18].  [Also, see resources at the website [7] of the NH Council of Churches.]

Jan 17 (Thu)  12:15 p.m.  Please join NH Voices of Faith for a vigil to show our support for immigrant rights and well-being.  We will gather in the lobby of the Legislative Office Building (LOB) at 12:15 p.m. and move to the doors of Room 301-303 LOB at 12:30 p.m. for the public hearing on HB 232, “relative to enforcement of immigration laws and the prohibition of sanctuary cities.”  This bill requires state and local government entities to comply with federal immigration detainer requests, i.e., jail people that the federal authorities want to capture.  It also prohibits state and local governments from adopting policies that “prohibit, restrict, or discourage the enforcement of federal law,” a broad mandate which would probably apply to policies which simply keep local police from asking people about their immigration status when it has nothing to do with whatever motor vehicle infraction or incident they might be investigating.  The impact of such a policy would be to compel local police to function as junior ICE officers, leading to increased fear and decreased trust in our cities and towns.

Jan 17 (Thu)    2:00 p.m.  Dr. David Wright of the Union of Concerned Scientists will speak on the threat of nuclear war and U.S. nuclear weapons policy at New England College, 62 North Main St. Concord, NH.  For more information about this event, contact Mindi Messmer at mmessmer [at] me [dot] com.

Jan 17 (Thu)    7:00 p.m.  “Minutes to Midnight: The Growing Danger of Nuclear War” with Dr. Joseph Gerson of the AFSC, at Hanover Friends Meeting, 43 Lebanon Street, Hanover.  For more information contact: Joseph Gainza – 802-522-2376 or jgainza [at] vtlink [dot] net.

Jan 18 (Fri)    9:00 – 10:15 a.m.  Interfaith Prayer Vigil for Immigrant Justice [15] [Joshua 6:1-27 [16]] for those reporting to ICE [17] for deportation that day at the Norris Cotton Federal Building, 275 Chestnut Street in Manchester.  We have signed the pledge to stand with our immigrant neighbors.  If you have not seen a copy of the revised solidarity statement, it can be found here [18].  [Also, see resources at the website [7] of the NH Council of Churches.]

Jan 18 — 25   Week of Prayer for Christian Unity [19]:  The NH Council of Churches [20] will publish a daily reflection during the Week from our various member denominations – watch for more!

Jan 19 (Sat)   10:00 a.m.  Women’s Marches! at the NH State House in Concord, Facebook event [21].

Jan 19 (Sat)   2:00 – 4:00 p.m.  “The Coloring of Law and Punishment”, (at the Rudman Center, UNH Law School, Washington Street, Concord) exploring the history of law and punishment in New Hampshire, disproportionate incarceration rates of racial and ethnic minorities, and the social impact of mass incarceration. Presenters will examine the consequences of incarceration on communities of color, intensifying surveillance and criminalization of poor and Black communities, and what a shift from punitive to restorative justice within our criminal system could look like. The event is free and open to the public. This is an Elinor Williams Hooker Tea Talk, sponsored by the Black Heritage Trail of NH. More info here [22].

Jan 20 (Sun)   8:45 for 9:00 a.m.  (3^rd 1^st Day) Ministry and Counsel meeting at the Meetinghouse.

Jan 20 (Sun) 10:00 a.m.  Worship. Greeting: ;  1^st Day School: Pat ; Closing: Mark, Heidi ; Boiler Cleaning: Mark.

Jan 21 (Mon)   Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Events:

• HOLLIS – Rev. Eric Jackson will be the keynote speaker for the 35th annual MLK Day Breakfast sponsored by Outreach for Black Unity, 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Alpine Grove, 19 S. Depot Rd. (Rte. 111A), Hollis NH 03049. Adults $35.00 in advance or $40.00 at the door. Youth/Students $20.00. Children 4yrs. and under free. For more information call 603-943-5721 or email info [at] snhobu [dot] com.
• MANCHESTER – 37th annual MLK Day Community Celebration with Ron Walker, guest speaker. MLK Award to Dr. Dottie Morris. Vanessa Johnson Award to Young Organizers United. Music. Cake. Temple Adath Yeshurun, 152 Prospect Street, Manchester. 2 p.m. social hour followed by program from 3 to 5 p.m. Sponsored by MLK Coalition. Everyone welcome, donations requested.
• CONCORD - MLK Day at Temple Beth Jacob, 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., 67 Broadway, Concord. All ages welcome. Facebook event [23].
• HANOVER – Francesca Ramsey is keynote presenter for the MLK Day program at Dartmouth College, 7 p.m. at the Hopkins Center. More info here [24].

History section – Did you know that New Hampshire was the last state in the union to adopt a holiday honoring Dr. King? Check out this chronology [25].

Jan 23 (Wed)   6:30 p.m.  “Holy Family, Migrant Family” Prayer Service at St. Anne-St. Augustin Church, 382 Beech Street in Manchester. Come and pray for those affected by our nation’s immigration policies and hear music in English, Spanish, Arabic and Indonesian! All are welcome to a reception following with coffee and apple pie.

Jan 25 (Fri)   5:00 p.m.  “13th” at SEA Movie Night. A documentary providing an in-depth look at the U.S. prison system. Social Hour followed by film at 6 p.m. At the SEA/SEIU office, 207 N. Main Street, Concord. Sponsored by SEA/SEIU Local 1984 and the NH Black Women’s Health Project. Admission free. Discussion following film.

Jan 27 (Sun)  10:00 a.m.  Worship followed by ‘Fourth First Day Meeting for Learning’ on the NEYM Climate Calculator [26].  Greeting: ;  1^st Day School: Faith ; Closing: Dave, Penny ; Boiler Cleaning: Dave.

Feb   3 (Sun)  10:00 a.m.  Worship.  Greeting: Mark ;  1^st Day School: ; Closing: Greg, Ruth ; Boiler Cleaning: Greg.

Feb   5 (Tue)   9:00 – 10:15 a.m.  (First Tuesday) Interfaith Prayer Vigil for Immigrant Justice [15] [Joshua 6:1-27 [16]] for those reporting to ICE [17] for deportation that day at the Norris Cotton Federal Building, 275 Chestnut Street in Manchester.  This will be followed by the Sanctuary Support Network [27] meeting at Blessed Sacrament Church, 14 Elm Street, Manchester where there will be refreshments.  We have signed the pledge to stand with our immigrant neighbors.  If you have not seen a copy of the revised solidarity statement, it can be found here [18].  [Also, see resources at the website [7] of the NH Council of Churches.]

Feb 10 (Sun)  10:00 a.m.  Worship, followed by potluck and Meeting for Worship with attention to Business.  Greeting: Kathy M. ; 1^st Day School: Dave ; Closing: Rich, Kathy U. ; Boiler Cleaning: Rich.

Feb 17 (Sun)  10:00 a.m.  Worship.  Greeting: ;  1^st Day School: ; Closing: Pat, Faith ; Boiler Cleaning: Jonah.

Feb 24 (Sun)  10:00 a.m.  Worship.   Greeting: ; 1^st Day School: ; Closing: Greg, Ruth ; Boiler Cleaning: Greg.

Mar   3 (Sun)  10:00 a.m.  Worship.   Greeting: Mark ;  1^st Day School: ; Closing: Rob Y., Kathy M. ; Boiler Cleaning: Rob Y.

Mar 10 (Sun)  10:00 a.m. (NB. Daylight Savings Time)  Worship, followed by potluck and Meeting for Worship with attention to Business.   Greeting: Kathy M. ;  1^st Day School:  ; Closing: Dave, Penny ; Boiler Cleaning: Dave.

Mar 17 (Sun)  10:00 a.m.  Worship.   Greeting: ;  1^st Day School: ; Closing: Jennifer, Sara ; Boiler Cleaning: Jennifer.

Mar 24 (Sun)  10:00 a.m.  Worship.   Greeting: ;  1^st Day School: ; Closing:  ; Boiler Cleaning: .

Mar 31 (Sun)  10:00 a.m.  Worship.   Greeting: ;  1^st Day School: ; Closing:  ; Boiler Cleaning: .

Mar 31 (Sun)  12:30 p.m.  Dover Quarterly Meeting at Concord Friends Meetinghouse with the Souhegan Friends providing a program.

First Day School Help:  If you would like to be a helper in the children’s program, and have not yet filled out the Youth Worker Screening Form [28].  Please download and print one out, fill it in, and pass it to Kathy Urie.  You can find it at Youth Worker Screening Form [28].  We need one helper each week.  Look for a sign-up sheet on the left bulletin board this Sunday.  And thank you!  The children thank you too!

Volunteers to be ready to support Manchester Unitarian Universalist Church as a Level 1 physical sanctuary in the New Hampshire Immigrant Solidarity Network.  Contact MarkBarker [at] ConcordFriendsMeeting [dot] org (subject: Volunteering%20for%20sanctuary%20support%20at%20U-U%20Church%20in%20Manchester) .  Here’s a list of the support roles needed.

• Day Citizen Companions
• Provide Food
• Provide Transportation
• Offer Entertainment (games or movies)
• Provide Emotional Support
• Provide Language Translation
• Provide Legal Support
• Provide Medical Support
• Raise Funds
• Provide a Gift Card
• Organize other Volunteers
• Laundry
• Other support you could offer

In August 2017, we published a statement in response to the tragedy in Charlottesville, Virginia [29].  Please also see “Such a Time as This: A Response to Hate and Violence [30]” as well as the “2017 Epistle of New England Yearly Meeting [31]”, Ruby Sales’ Plenary Message [32] on NEYM’s Youtube channel, and the audio recordings of the 2017 Annual Sessions Bible Half-Hours by Marty Grundy [33] focusing (exegeting [34]) on Romans 12:2 [35].  Draft booklet of Bible Half Hour texts [36].

^1. See https://www.pym.org/faith-and-practice/guidelines-and-procedures/general-queries/nurturing-our-community/ [37]

^2. See http://qfp.quaker.org.uk/chapter/1/ [38] № 42

^3. See http://qfp.quaker.org.uk/chapter/1/ [38] № 24